Photo credit: The Rujinav Picture library. During Queen Victoria’s reign the colour became the height of fashion thanks to Her Madge. Aside from ladies drapery, women would tuck small packets of lavender into their cleavage to lure in unsuspecting suitors! However by the turn of the century its popularity declined as the pale-violet hue became associated with creepy old biddies Nowadays it's mostly used to help stressed out mothers get to sleep at night after a hard day running after their little darlings. And to my disappointment you’ll also find it in pretty much every pair of microwavable slippers and teddy bears! | The name derives from the Latin ‘lavare’ meaning “to wash”. The Romans used Lavender to scent practically everything from their baths to their hair! Back in Tudor times muslin packets were filled with lavender and hung in wardrobes to keep the pesky moths from chomping holes in their Sunday best. It was also used as an ingredient in sweets and vinegar, while 17th Century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper prescribed two spoonfuls of lavender-infused water for ‘tremblings and passions of the heart, faintings, and swooning’- quite the remedy; almost like a glass of gin, it fixes everything! During the Renaissance, French lavender was thought to protect against infection. Glove makers decided to perfumed their wares with the flower, and the wearers often seemed to escape cholera. Which could be the reason why the French poet Robert de Montesquiou wore rather fetching scented gloves in the same shade. What a decadent dandy! Below: Robert de Montesquiou himself. Photo credit: Flickr |
Lavender was also the name of Matilda’s best friend in the famous Roald Dahl novel! I hope you enjoyed this little piece of insight- if so let me know in the comments and I’ll do another one again soon! Have a great week :) x |
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